


The Core of You

by MsDixon



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alexandria Safe-Zone, Anal Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 19:57:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4492647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsDixon/pseuds/MsDixon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over his determination to find shelter for his family Rick has lost sight of the one thing that's most important to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Core of You

**Author's Note:**

> Please forgive me that poor summary, this is my first ever published fic and therefore my first ever summary so I'm still improving. ;-) Also, speaking of improving, all kinds of comments and hints and suggestions, positive or negative, are appreciated!
> 
> This one is more or less unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.

He led him up the stairs through the darkness, the house only lit by pale moonlight and the faint glow of the street lights outside the front porch. His fingers wrapped around his wrist in a loose grip giving him the chance to leave if he wanted to but firm enough to let him know he was safe. Only when they were standing in front of the door that led to his bedroom he let go of him, quietly grabbing the handle as to not wake the others who were sleeping in their rooms nearby. He pushed the door open and stood aside, still giving him the chance to decide whether he wanted to leave or enter the dark room.

Daryl walked in, slowly but without hesitation. After Rick had quietly closed the door behind him he turned around and found Daryl standing and staring out of the window. He walked over and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on the other man’s shoulder. Following his gaze out of the window he knew what Daryl saw and how he felt.

It had taken him a while to understand but now he knew. As soon as they stepped through the gate and entered the fairy world of Alexandria he looked into Daryl’s eyes and saw what he should have recognized long before. He had missed him, too. Missed his kisses and touches, so gentle you would never believe it when you just saw his redneck appearance. But he was too determined to keep them all safe, caring too much for the surviving of the family, the whole group, that he didn’t see the suffering of each individual part of it.

After their escape from Terminus he swore to himself not to rest until they all were safe again. There hadn’t been many possibilities to sneak away and spend time together but to be honest he didn’t even think about it. All he thought about was keep going, find shelter, safe the family. On their way to Alexandria he was filled with anticipation, suspicion, maybe even excitement, too focused on reaching some place to feel safe that he didn’t see what he was losing.

Though he didn’t feel the same he knew what was on Daryl's mind. The window only provided view to a small piece of grass that belonged to the backyard of their assigned house and the wall behind. The wall that was supposed to keep them safe but left Daryl nothing but restless. He was a wild animal, Rick knew that from the very first moment he met him. He was a force of nature and simply belonged out there. One look at his face was enough to see that he felt trapped while at the same time he was afraid of the danger that was waiting beyond these walls.

Rick just hoped Daryl knew that he was there, trying his best to catch him when he falls, that everything he did during the last weeks had nothing to do with what the both of them shared. He knew that they wouldn’t have made it this far without Daryl. He was Ricks wingman, his anchor, the one who kept him grounded and the only one who really truly got to touch his heart and Rick was sure that he would never really be able to make him understand how much he really meant to him. The least he could do was to try.

Rick gently kissed his neck while unbuttoning his shirt, slowly shoving it off his shoulders. He turned Daryl around by his waist to face him but he kept his head down, eyes to the ground. Only after Rick had discarded his own shirt he laid a hand to Daryl cheek, softly pushing his head up to meet his eyes. He traced his fingertips along his forehead, his cheekbone, his jaw while keeping his eyes fixed on his. There was pain and suppressed anger, hurt and loneliness but behind all that there was also love and hope. He took his face in both hands and kissed him, slow and gentle. No way would he ever leave him alone and give up what had started so blissful months ago.

When Daryl finally kissed him back he started moving them towards the bed. Fingers were ghosting over skin, tongues sliding against each other. As Ricks calves hit the bed he sat down, leaving Daryl standing before him. When he looked up Daryl was staring into his eyes. He looked almost relaxed if it wasn’t for the haunted eyes that betrayed the calm appearance. He was like a picture, beautiful as it was but hesitating to hold its head high with pride and face the world from its place on the wall until it got a fitting frame and Rick wanted nothing more than to be that frame for Daryl.

He guided him to sit beside him before leaning over to lay him down onto his back. He kept placing kisses all over Daryl’s torso as he unbuckled his belt and pushed jeans and boxers down but when Daryl reached for his own belt he shoved his hand away. This was about him and Rick wanted him to do nothing but relax and get lost in the two of them. He stood up from the bed and tugged the trousers from Daryl’s feet before removing his own clothes.

Daryl had moved to lie fully on the bed with his head on the pillows when Rick lay beside him again, both naked and panting only from the sight of each other. Rick kissed him again and wrapped a hand around Daryl’s already hard cock. Stroking slowly earned him a moan suppressed by their kiss. He gently tugged at his waist to move him to lay on his right side. While Daryl was rolling over Rick poured some of the lube he had taken out of the nightstand on his fingers. As soon as Daryl had turned his back he pushed a slicked finger inside. Daryl buried his face in the pillow and suppressed the moan caused by the intrusion. Moving the finger slowly deeper with every push inside Rick kissed and bit his neck before adding a second finger. Daryl started rocking down onto the fingers and mumbled something incomprehensible that very much sounded like begging.

He removed the fingers which earned another hiss from Daryl before he looked back over his shoulder, eyes dizzy with need. Rick was just about pouring the lube onto his fingers when Daryl grabbed his wrist and took the tube from him. He quickly poured some on his own fingers and reached behind him, coating Rick’s hard member with enough pressure to make him whimper into his neck.

As soon as he was slicked up Rick pushed Daryl’s left leg forward and grabbed his hip, lining up and pushing all the way in as if it was the most natural thing to do. When his hips hit Daryl’s ass he kept still, wrapping his arms around him, savoring the tight heat while giving Daryl time to adjust. Within no time Daryl rocked back down onto him and Rick wasted no time to start thrusting in a slow pace.

All the while he held Daryl close, arms wrapped tight around his torso while stroking gentle circles over his groin. There was no haste, no way Rick would waste this moment with too much force. He kept the slow and steady pace, whispering words of encouragement and safety into Daryl’s neck. He had his face buried in the pillow and a hand pinched into the sheets when the other one grabbed Rick’s hips behind him. Muffled moans reached Rick’s ears as he clawed his fingers into Rick’s flesh like he was his lifeline.

Daryl let out a cry that sounded like heaven in Rick’s ears when he first hit his prostate. He changed the angle so he would hit the nub with every other thrust. Daryl turned his head and the following kiss was nothing slow but full of desire and love and promises. Rick let go of his waist and wrapped his hand around Daryl’s leaking cock, stroking in rhythm with his thrusts. He felt Daryl tense up, holding his breath. He gently bit the spot where shoulder met neck and tightened his grip on his cock while thrusting only a bit harder for a few more times.

Daryl arched his back, scraped his nails into Rick’s hips while rocking through the waves of pleasure, mouth hung open in a silent scream. Rick held him tight, muffling his own moans into Daryl’s neck as he was clenching around him, pulling him over the edge, too.

After Rick withdrew from him carefully they clung to each other while regaining their breath. He held Daryl close to his chest and concentrated on his breathing.

He knew this was home. Alexandria may seem safe but whatever may happen, whether these walls were safe or they found themselves back out in the open again, Daryl and Daryl alone was the feeling of home.

“I love you.” Rick whispered into his neck.

Daryl turned around to face him, eyes still dizzy from the high they both just went through. Rick stroked his cheek. “This could be a home.”

Daryl stared right into his eyes. “Home is wherever you are.”

“Home is where you feel safe.”

“Wherever you are…”

**Author's Note:**

> Title borrowed from Måns Zelmerlöws album "Perfectly Damaged".


End file.
